Thinner Than the Lines We Cross
by anonymous-unknown
Summary: Sequel to "Maybe We Should Start All Over". To have his life has been his challenge. To get to spend it with someone has been his reward. But when did life ever get to become so easy for them, and actually stay that way? Pre-slash.
1. Chapter 1

**Authors Note: **Post S7 AU. Okay, so I know this story mentions that it is slash, but just so you are aware in advance to avoid any disappointment, the slash in this story is completely **non**-graphic. Slash is usually something physical between the two characters of a story as I'm sure everybody here knows, but I decided to take a different route with it and chose to base the relationship in this story between Dean and Castiel on a more devout approach and level. Yes physical slash had been the intention at first, don't get me wrong, but after much deliberation I decided that I didn't want it to seem just about that and decided against all odds to try the part that I've seen some writers don't even attempt. I wanted to get into the more mental, emotional and spiritual aspect of it and leave the physical to fend for itself should it stand a chance. There may be physical scenes to come, I don't see that yet but who really knows right now, but as far as the ideas I have I don't plan on using any of that here. Just so you are made aware and don't expect something that I may or may not be able to deliver. Thanks again, and welcome to my latest insanity of a project. :)

**Written:** 04 February

**Soundtrack(s):** Thunderstruck by AC/DC

**Word Count:** 1500+

**Category:** Dean W./Castiel

**Content:** SLASH. (Just warning those in advance who wish not to read such material.)

**Disclaimer: **Obviously, I do not possess any legal rights to anything to do with this series especially its characters. I'm sure we are all aware of that but this fact must always be noted due to this websites guidelines.

**Genres:** Angst, Family, Drama, Friendship, Tragedy, Hurt/Comfort, Suspense, Mystery, Romance

**Characters:** Dean Winchester, Sam Winchester, Castiel, Bobby Singer, Gabriel, Crowley

**Fictional Characters:** Legion, Master

**Rating:** T

─**o.O.o─**

**Title:** Thinner Than the Lines We Cross

**Author: **anonymous-unknown

**Summary:** Sequel to "Maybe We Should Start All Over". To have his life has been his challenge. To get to spend it with someone has been his reward. But when did life ever get to become so easy for them, and actually stay that way? This new life brings with it new challenges, and it may just leave Castiel far more broken than he's ever been before. All he can do, is try and fix it. Saving it may just be the impossible though, this time around.

**ooo**

"_Sometimes life can be a challenge. Be a mystery and be a right, but the moment one of us starts to doubt it then it no longer has any meaning. We give up. We stop fighting. And we don't care._

_I'll be the one to prove you wrong.__"_

anonymous-unknown (b. 1988)

**Chapter 1**

A year can sometimes feel like a day, for others a lifetime, but for them it seemed almost like it never really happened at all. For Dean and Cas, it was a day they had actually been waiting for and looking forward to, in every sense that one might suggest. It signified something for them, something valuable, and it was far beyond irreplaceable for either one of them. It was the day the two of them had been intertwined, brought together in the most human and divine of ways and the stepping stone for where they stood now. It was a devotion, a pious right, and an act of such complete refuge that neither one had felt more whole in place of it. It was their sanctuary, a home where both could be separate and one in the same, a piece of them that the other didn't have to feel hurt or hide from. They were now a part of each other, the end of a beginning and the beginning of an end. A perfect circle. At the very least that's how they'd describe it, considering there were no other phrases to label it as. It was simply, whole.

The two of them had faced many challenges at first, getting used to the idea of how things were now and how they would forever be. Dean was the nervous one, Castiel more the anxious, but both didn't reach for anything than the need until the other chose to do it.

It's how it all chose to start.

Dean at first tried to be the one to show Castiel the basics of understanding what it is he thought was their bond now. Castiel of course followed, but whenever Dean would find a hitch in the moment of hesitation Castiel would be the one to jump it. It actually made him happy, to be the leader and not the follower, but he in return would pass on the reigns whenever he found himself in the same situation. It was an adjustment, a chance to guide it through, but either way you looked at it the fact remained the same.

Castiel was the first to show it, how much he appreciated his partnership and how much he wanted to keep it. He wanted it to blossom, to bloom like a garden or a field of Heaven itself, and he hoped and prayed by all that was holy that Dean could see it that way too. He didn't have to worry though, because with their profound bond and ups and downs and even the challenges in between, it all ended up the same way too.

Castiel felt safe when Dean was around, was always assured of his surroundings whenever he was nearby, and he was never afraid or embarrassed to show it either. Dean wasn't _usually_ the physical type (hell he was never labeled under that file until Cas came around) but, for his sake, Dean learned to get used to it and take it like a man. He just didn't know how to do it at first, until Castiel taught him.

Castiel, for all descriptive purposes, was clingy.

Okay so not necessarily clingy, Dean thought, but he did like the appreciation of physical touch and the security it gave him. Dean didn't like it at first, but the moment he felt Castiel's pull towards him and the feelings it resulted in he actually found that he looked forward to it as well. Sometimes there was lounging, other times there was laying, and for some weird reason beyond either one of their comprehensions, there was even sometimes…cuddling? No. Neither Dean nor Cas would describe it that way, but there _were_ times at night when the two would fall asleep with their backs pressed against each other, and wake in the morning to find that they had shifted and were pressed chest to chest, arms folded around the other and hearts beating as one. Neither one remembered how or when or why, but after the first couple of times of it happening, they didn't bother questioning.

Castiel now lay against Dean's chest, back supported firmly right above it and arms folded across. He was simply only sleeping, deep breaths passing through his lips while strong arms lay propped beside him. Dean felt more than comfortable, his legs raised and resting on either side of Castiel's shoulders as he slept, elbows resting on his knees and propped up as if to show protection. Dean didn't mind this, this need for physical contact, and they had soon found pretty early on that the closer Dean was there, the more void Castiel was of his nightmares.

He'd had several in fact, not too soon after the battle with Legion and the return of order in Heaven, but it was also learned that with the hunter by his side that they had all begun to repress and eventually fall out of place. It was that bond, that one little thing that they shared, and neither one found the means to want to let go. At least, not a first.

The connection the two of them shared was, to put it simply, kind of a strange one. In subtle instances and even desperate moments, they always felt each other come in tangent and even when repressing, couldn't seem to hide the facts from the other. It started with a hunt, a first time instance when Dean got hurt whilst being thrown by a werewolf and his back had practically been broken. In hadn't thank God, but Castiel refused to mention his pain as well until Dean noticed the strain on his face. He had felt it, could sense the anguish that the former angel was getting and had chosen to keep quite on, until Dean had forced him to confess and tell him. Castiel didn't want to, but there really was no hiding it and was obligated to rest up as well.

Another time was when Cas was in Bobby's yard, helping the older hunter fix up a car and had taken a step backwards, falling off the tarmac and tripping right off it which caused him to lose his balance. The snap he heard next was from him, breaking his foot. He had to be laid up for two months afterwards, in which Dean promptly joined him, after feeling the split from miles away. He still remembered that day too.

Dean had called Bobby's house first, getting no answer and trying his cell before ultimately calling him directly. Bobby had answered, knowing immediately that it would be Dean as he asked quickly why Castiel didn't pick up the phone when he called. Bobby was honest and informed him that there'd been a little accident, and it didn't take a genius to see the irony of it. He may not have been a sex crazed, orgy hosting drug addict like he'd been in that universe, but the former angel still managed to break his foot and be laid up two months. Man did Fate have her jokes.

Castiel was on the couch when Dean had showed up, slightly limping but otherwise fine as he noticed his partner biting back the pain of his injury. Bobby had applied an ice pack to help numb it down, but Dean knew that it would take more than that and a bottle of pain killers to do squat about it. In the end he took him to the hospital, and after a visit to the emergency room walked out in his first ever cast. He was sure that there'd be more to come.

So, as was such, an adjustment had been made and a challenge had been accepted. Both were now drawn to each other, reflections that couldn't be buried or ignored, and feelings that couldn't be hidden. It was powerful, but damn right scary too.

Sam at first, had labeled it as touchy feely with the two of them, although it really wasn't, but he kept that to himself lest he wanted to die a slow and painful death by glares alone. He just remained as mediator, watching the two of them mingle of sorts as Castiel remained sleeping and Dean focused on the game playing on the television, his own back against the seat cushions of the couch.

Sam got up slowly, walking over to the kitchen to get a beer but not before Dean eyed him to be quiet. He didn't want Castiel waking up, and so Sam took his playful warning and practically tiptoed across the room. He came back minutes later, only to find his brother slumped partially back against the couch with his head rolled sideways, conked out in sleep as well.

In his mind, that was just pathetic.

He simply shook his head in laughter and quietly sat back down. Things were peaceful, quiet, and just downright normal that it was almost a scary thought. There had been no catastrophes, no major dramas, and even quieter hunts the less they found them. It was just nice, and almost a welcome distraction.

The thing about peace though is, it never lasts forever.

**To Be Continued…**

**Authors End Note: **Ominous cliffhanger I know, but this story will have a happy ending when it's over. Reviews are always appreciated of course.


	2. Chapter 2

**Authors Note:** I swear, I have not abandoned this story. Or any of my other stories that are still on hiatus… Sigh. Several factors for lack of updates include no muse, no inspiration, and work work work. My recent promotion at said workplace hasn't really helped either time wise but I swear I am trying, especially since I am starting to get some form of a muse back. I can blame/thank the lovely site that is called Tumblr for that! Oh, and the anticipated arrival of season 8 of my _still_ all time favorite show. :P

Also, couple notes for this story and its predecessor that you need to be aware of. After much deliberation and the ideas refusing to cooperate with me, both this story as well as "Maybe" have now become a no/pre-slash story status. Maybe will stay as is considering I don't think I pushed too far (and because I think I did a very good job with the subject thank you very much, lol) but this one has drastically changed in my mind now. For those who know this, I am very canon when it comes to writing and I just couldn't see the relationship of Dean and Cas going so far as I had originally planned (not on stage anyway :P). So, alas, sorry to disappoint some of you but yes, this is no longer a SLASH content story. You may see tiny hints of tidbits here and there but, interpret as you wish. :P Sorry. :(

In other news, I know that this is really not an update, but it is a small preview of what is to come and what you should expect. I've been playing with this particular idea for a few months now and have decided that this story is the perfect stage in which to execute it. So, without further ado, enter stage Crowley.

**PREVIEW**

**Written: **20 September

**Word Count: **900+

**Soundtrack:** Two Steps from Hell - Archangel

She wasn't fooled. She knew one of her own when she saw them, no matter how many centuries worth of masks that they wore. Things were so different now, so complicated, and so very much entwined that she was certain that a clash between both forces would be imminent. She had to know though, be certain and sure and fierce in her attack and her choices. She had to know, and she knew just who would give them to her.

Crowley was one to play cat and mouse, she knew that, but this time was different. This time everything and more was at stake. Heaven. Hell. Earth. The entire universe was now at the mercy of The Master, and the battle that was soon to come was becoming more and more close. She knew her side, was certain of his too, but there were things that needed to be discussed. She knew the truth; such things could not be hidden from her when she could still see them clear as day. Still, she wondered if he did, if he remembered, or if he even cared. Crowley was the wild card, and was a piece she hoped that she didn't need to play.

"You've got some nerve summoning me here darling."

"I didn't really need to summon you now did I? You came on your own accord."

The look she gave was simple, her demeanor the usual; no games, no gimmicks, no nonsense. The perfect façade of the angel she was and the rank she held, with emotions that remained untapped and bottled with all her will. Things were changing, ever so slowly, and now was not the time to jeopardize any of her self or that of her comrades. This was war, and it was just the beginning of many more she was certain would come.

"You haven't changed one bit. Same tricks, just different mask."

"I have no idea what you're talking about my dear. Perhaps you have me confused with someone else."

"I know I don't. Not this time. You may have changed, fallen, but I know your true self. Who you were born as. How our Father made you. I _know_, everything."

The demon visibly tensed, his hand slowly dropping the glass of scotch it held and in turn changing his own demeanor. It was a secret he had hidden for centuries, millennia, but every step he took to assure its survival were apparently in vain when it regarded her. Then again, there was no tricking Seraphim. He knew that. Her especially.

He visibly swallowed, thinking hard of what to say and seeing how to salvage his treachery. Again, not that it mattered. He was discovered, was more than certain with the gaze she gave him. Still, he hadn't worked this hard with everything he had for nothing. There was still an end game, a purpose, and he was willing to lose.

"Well then, you think you know so much. Why don't you tell me. What is _it_, that you think you know and that I'm not sharing? Care to take a guess, or do you plan to smite it out of me?"

She chuckles, bowing her head in amused annoyance only to look back at him with sad, cold eyes. There was no time for this. She needed to know. Allie or not. Friend or foe. Angel, or demon.

She lets out a breath, careful and slow and almost painful, and cautiously opens her eyes to him once more. He visibly shudders now at her look, fierce and taut and absolutely merciless. She is not here for games, certainly not any of his, and if he were to even consider pulling one on her and would certainly be the very last thing he'd do. All his plans, all his trials, would have been for nothing.

"Don't play with me," she nearly growls, her gaze steady and strong. "Don't you play. I am tired, of the games. I am tired of the lies. And I am tired of you thinking that you have free reign. I know who you are, and you cannot hide it."

"Who exactly am I, huh? Who is it that you are so absolutely certain that I am? Hmm?" He shouts back, taking two steps towards her to show his own dominance. She does not move, merely stays where she stands, strong and as fierce as ever behind the vessel she contains. "Are we going to keep playing these games that you claim you don't want to play or are we actually going to get to something?"

She's silent, her posture stays rigid and sharp as sword. She breathes, one last calming strike. She gives him what he wants.

"Samael."

Even at a whisper, it causes the demon to almost fall. She knows, just as he always suspected. Now he's certain. He's been found.

"Samael. Brother Samuel. You've been lost to us, for so long. Rebelled. Fallen. …You abandoned us." Her walls fall for only a moment, until her fierceness come shooting out. "No longer are you lost. I know the truth, and it's time you take charge. It's time to do your duty, as the Archangel you were born."

Crowley is literally speechless, the feeling of his heart clenching in his chest and traveling up his throat unable to be ignored. His game is over. She unveils her wings, her powerful six, and stands there with all her might and gives him her command.

"Reveal your wings."

Without power to disobey, Crowley, or more accurately now, Samael, does just that. There's no point in hiding any longer.

"As you wish, sister Elizael."

The two are engulfed by light, and a lost brother is revealed.

**To Be Continued…**

**Authors End Note:** And that's it. Hope it did some justice and idea of what's to come. If you're confused, look up the Archangel Samael. There's some interesting ties and coincidences to Crowley. I know Tumblr has a TON of them. Until later.


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